Welcome to your spring issue of Rhiwbina Living.
I’d like to start with the words ‘It’s been a long, cold winter’ but in truth, it hasn’t.
Compared to the start of 2011, we’ve had it pretty easy. Even so, it’s still nice to
see the daffs pushing their way up to the yellow spring sun.
We’ve had time to get some rest but it does feel good to be back at it again.
We’ve put together a nice shiny issue for you. First up, we spoke to Sam
Warburton, the name on everyone’s lips this spring. Although he’s missed a few
games in this year’s Six Nations, he’s already held the Triple Crown aloft. I shan’t
mention the other prize up for grabs when we play France because by the time
this magazine is hitting doormats, we’ll either be rueing a missed opportunity or
be delirious with delight. Sam told us candidly about his World Cup experience,
and how he’s adjusting to the fame and plaudits that have come his way already.
We get plenty of submissions from readers. On page 12, you can read about our
village in the 1930s and 40s. On page 19, Eric Fletcher has put pen to paper to
create a short story that is devilishly good.
On page 17, we say hello to some new faces in Rhiwbina. Our magazines were
created to help local businesses and we’re more than happy to help promote the
new Garden Village Garage. See what they can do for you on our centre pages.
Elsewhere, Kevin Revell takes us through spring as seen from a gardener’s
eyes. His inspirational piece on page 22 is guaranteed to tempt you out into the
garden.
Local vet Chris Troughton answers your pet-related questions on page 25, and
we’ve even got some photographs of Rhiwbina from yesteryear (well, the 1980s
anyway) on page 27. And lastly, you can hear me waffle on about marriage on the
inside back cover.
Please remember to support our advertisers - our magazine exists to help them
so please support them and keep businesses thriving in the area.
Enjoy all that spring has to offer you.
See you in the summer!

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of
the contents, the publisher cannot accept any responsibility for
errors or omissions, or for any matter in any way arising from
the publication of this material. Every effort has been made to
contact any copyright holders. Rhiwbina Living is an
independent, apolitical publication. Proof-reading by Katie
Stephenson with thanks.

Advertising booking and copy deadline for Issue 19 Friday 18 May 2012
Issue 19 publication date - June 2012
Rhiwbina Living is published 4 times a year.

RHIWBINA SCHOOLBOY CALLS ON
LOCALS TO HELP HIM WALK

NEWS
RHIWBINA CHILDREN’S
HOME SHUTS DOWN

A Rhiwbina schoolboy is calling on
locals to help him undergo a lifechanging operation later this year.
Thomas Harries was diagnosed
with Cerebral Palsy at 18 months
old. He is unable to walk and normal
day to day tasks require assistance.
But now the 8 year-old has been
given the chance to undergo life
changing surgery in St. Louis, USA.
If successful, he will be able to walk
with a walking aid, something he
can only dream about doing now.
Unfortunately the surgery is not
funded by the NHS in Wales.
£60,000 is required to get Thomas
and his family to the USA for this
pioneering neurosurgery, additional
orthopaedic surgery and the
aftercare required to ensure future
progress.
Thomas’s mother Jo Harries told
Living Magazines:
“We live in Rhiwbina and need all
the awareness and support we can
get. The money will not only pay for
the operation in the US, but it will
cover costs for the intensive
physiotherapy needed when
Thomas will need to work muscles
that are currently too small and have
not been used before.”
Mum Jo has been actively raising
funds for Thomas’s operation and is
hoping that she can help provide
Thomas with his wish to walk.
“Local people have already

shown their support but we need to
keep on going. We’ve been using
lots of different ways to raise money
- fun runs, raffles and a whole host
of events. We’ve set up a website so
that people can stay updated on
events and news and we’ve also
produced posters that people can
put in their car windows.”
If anyone is able to donate either
money, prizes, venues or some kind
of entertainment to be used at
fundraising, you can visit the
website at
www.thomaswishtowalk.co.uk. You
can also donate using your mobile
phone by typing the letters TWTW95
£1 (or £5 or £10) and sending it to
70070.
There is also a Facebook page set
up. Cheques can be made payable
to Thomas Harries and can be sent
to:
Thomas’ Wish to Walk
c/o Nicky Erasmus
Peterstone Lakes Golf Club
Peterstone
Wentloog
Cardiff
CF3 2TN

Thomas’s
only wish is
to be able
to walk like
his friends

Thornhill Road Children’s Home in
Rhiwbina has been closed just
seven months after it was opened
at a cost of almost £2m.
The Cardiff council run home was
forced to shut down following a
scathing report by the Care and
Social Services Inspectorate Wales
(CSSIW).
The social services watchdog
found that the home was
understaffed and morale was at
rock bottom following a long-term
absence of the manager two
months after the home had
opened. The report concluded that
‘most staff felt let down by
managers within the home and at
the council.’
There was an equivalent of seven
and a half full-time vacancies filled
out of a possible 17 and a half,
leaving staff feeling ‘understaffed,
overwhelmed and unable to work.’
Authorities were alerted to
significant incidents related to the
children; the report, published on
December 23, said very few
aspects of the service had been
delivered in ‘a manner suitable to
adequately safeguard or promote
the welfare of the young people.’
The inspector also found the
behaviour of some young people
staying at the home had a
‘considerable and unacceptable
impact on the quality of life, wellbeing and positive development of
others.’
The report added that ‘The quality
of life observed at the time of the
inspection was not one that would
support the positive personal
development of young people.’
The home, at 150 Thornhill Road
– previously the site of another
council-run children’s care home,
opened in May 2011.
Rhiwbina Living Page 3

NEWS
RHIWBINA BUSINESS CELEBRATES 20 YEARS

A Rhiwbina-based school and
group tour operator is celebrating 20
years of success this year.
Schools Into Europe was started by
Paul and Lesley Denison in 1992,
and has since gone from strength to
strength, now employing 17 staff, ten
of whom are Modern Foreign
Language speakers.
“We are a family-run business
specialising in educational travel
within Britain and to Europe” said
Lesley, who grew up in Whitchurch.
“Our offices in North Cardiff work
with over 600 schools across the UK.
We also work with a number of
different groups and organisations.
For example, in March this year we
are carrying over 1,000 children and
adults to St David’s Welsh Festival at
Disneyland® Paris.”
Schools Into Europe is an ABTA
bonded company, and is proud to be
one of the national leaders in school
and group travel. The company
maintains its personalised service
and attention to detail, whilst also
offering the security and experience
of a large organisation.
The company has furthermore
recently been awarded the
prestigious Learning Outside the
Classroom (LOtC) Quality Badge,
which is presented to organisations
and educational establishments who
provide inspiring, engaging and
memorable learning experiences
beyond the classroom walls.
The business is one of the largest
of its kind in the UK.
Rhiwbina Living Page 4

SPORTS VENUE
OPENS DOORS TO
NEW EVENTS
The Diamond Sports Ground on
Forest Farm Road in Whitchurch is
welcoming new members to take
part in a range of sporting and social
activities, from rugby and cricket to
running and Zumba.
“It always surprises us to hear
some local people were unaware,
until very recently, of the existence of
the sporting and social facilities
available at the ground,” says club
president Richard Pexton.
The ground, home to Cardiff
Harlequins RFC, has attracted rugby
players from all over Cardiff,
including Blues centre Jamie
Roberts and Welsh women’s captain
Rachel Taylor. Set in an idyllic
location alongside the river Taff and
adjacent to the Country Park, the
club hopes locals will get involved in
its wide range of activities.
The men’s rugby club is keen to
attract players who can help in its
drive for promotion to Division 3 of
the WRU Swalec National Leagues.
At Christmas, the first team was
second in the Division 4 East table.
The ground also has a Clubhouse
with three separate bars and two
function rooms which are available
for parties and special occasions.
Tel 02920 693552 or visit
www.cardiffharlequins.com for more
details.

LOCAL PARK TO
BENEFIT FROM
NEW PLANS
Caedelyn Park in Rhiwbina could
become one of Wales’s first ‘quiet
areas’.
The proposals currently put
forward by Cardiff Council would
see the park legally spared any
future developments to maintain its
distinctive sounds and habitats.
Eleven possible locations have
been submitted by Cardiff and Vale
of Glamorgan councils, and a 12week consultation period run by the
Welsh Government is now under
way.
Cardiff Council has also
nominated Heath Park, adjacent to
the University Hospital of Wales, to
also be covered by the proposals.
The park there has an 18-hole pitch
and putt golf course, a model
railway and woodland, which is
home to many forms of wildlife.
The proposals have been met with
positive comments from residents
and environmental groups.

CELEBRITY SHEEP
TO GET SHORT BACK
AND SIDES
Rhiwbina’s
celebrity sheep,
Nick Boing, will be
having his annual
shearing in the
Wendy House at
the end of May.
Owner Dave
Palmer told Living Magazines:
“A definite date will be posted in
due course - so keep an eye on the
Wendy House notice board!”
Dave also added:
“All are welcome, there is no
charge. And I want to assure
everyone that Nick Boing will be
treated more gently than last year.”

LETTERS

Rhiwbina Memorial
Hall’s legacy
Dear Editors
The Rhiwbina Memorial Hall and
Community Association is a
Registered Charity, depending for
income on the fees it charges to its
members, i.e. the Bridge, Drama
(RATS), Floral Art and Badminton
Sections plus revenue earned from
the regular and occasional hirers.
The Hall is run by a Council of
volunteers elected annually at the
AGM in September and is made up
of representatives from the member
groups plus representatives from the
local community known as
Independents.
Any interest group with a regular
booking can elect to become Hall
members and are thereby entitled to
representation on the Hall
Management Council. Individuals
with an interest in the Rhiwbina
community can put themselves
forward to serve as Independents
providing they become Hall
Members.
Despite rising running and
essential maintenance costs the Hall
Council, have kept the rates at a
very competitive level. The Hall is
well used with a Bridge Club that
meet most days, the very strong
Drama Group meet every
Wednesday and Sunday evenings
with four productions per year, The

Floral Art meet on Tuesday evenings
once per fortnight with occasional
major demonstrations and the
Badminton meet twice a week on
Monday evenings and Thursday
mornings. All groups are pleased to
welcome new members. Even so
there is still spare capacity to
accommodate additional regular
and occasional hirers. If the Hall is
used to maximum capacity it goes
without saying that the fees can be
kept down.
The Hall comprises of the Main Hall
which can seat up to 200 theatre
style with a stage (plus lighting and
sound if required), a lesser hall
suitable for meetings or functions of
up to 50 people and a smaller
committee room useful for small
meetings or functions. A kitchen is
available also.
Anyone interested in hiring the Hall,
smaller hall or committee room
should contact the Booking
Secretary on 02920692251.
Ivan Gibson

Dear Editors

us Rhiwbina residents!
On a positive, I’d like to
congratulate you on producing such
a high quality publication that has
become such a talking point in the
village.
Paula Brown
Heol-y-Deri
Rhiwbina

I very much look forward to hearing
the clunk of my letterbox and
receiving your magazines and have
done for many years.
I was however disappointed that
my last copy appeared to arrive with
a glut of other flyers which promptly
went straight into the recycling bin.
In an age when we are being
careful about waste, I found it a bit
of a let down that you have resorted
to a practice (ie junk-mailing) that
you never used to impose on

Editors’ Response:
Thanks for getting in touch Paula we’re glad you enjoy our
magazines. With regard to the

RhiwM
bin
yastery

of debris at
Taffs Well sidings

If you ever walk along the west bank
of the Taff at Radyr Court Road and
the track that leads up to the old
Radyr Sidings, you will find lots of
pieces of broken pottery, china and
glass on the river bank. The area
between the railway and river was
obviously a dump for many years.
Indeed, when they were building
Clos Gerddi Taf, I collected
wheelbarrows full of old bottles from
where the foundations had been
dug. I have given any bottles of
local interest to the City museum.
I would love to know more about
this area. When was the area used
as a dump, and how did the rubbish
get there - by road or by rail? Was it
ever officially a dump or was it just a
fly-tipping ground? The high
definition maps in the city library do
not offer many clues.
Tony Moon
Radyr Court Rise, Llandaff

deliveries of your magazines, we
never have, and never will include
anything with our magazines. We
pride ourselves on providing a
comprehensive solus (on its own)
delivery so if anything else was lying
there with your copy of Rhiwbina
Living, it was most probably posted
before or after our delivery.
As we personally distribute the
magazines ourselves, we’d find
extra things to post just too much to
carry as the magazines are heavy
enough as they are!
Rhiwbina Living Page 5

Lent and Easter at

All Saints Church

Every Tuesday evening during Lent
6.30-7.30 Compline and Lent group
Palm Sunday
8.00am Said Communion
10.30am Holy Eucharist with blessing of Palms
4.00pm The four oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock service
6.00pm Stations of the cross
Holy Wednesday
10.00am
Holy Eucharist
Maundy Thursday
7.45pm Holy Eucharist of the
Last Supper and Watch
Good Friday
10.00am Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s service
Holy Saturday
8.30pm Holy Eucharist with Vigil
Easter Sunday
8.00am Holy Eucharist
10.30am Easter Sunday Family Service
Any Enquires Rev Andrew James
02920654406

Born
To
Lead
oung female teachers, all neck
rashes and flushed cheeks,
squeal like mice. The few male
teachers try and play it a bit cooler,
leaning back on their chairs and
raising a hand to the young man
who’s just walked into the back of
the school hall. The kids sitting
cross-legged on the floor can’t sit
still though and crane their necks to
see the local superstar in their
midst.
Then Sam Warburton strides to the
front of the school hall. His god-like
status sends the children into
raptures. A ‘throne’ awaits him at
the front of the hall, and he takes his
rightful seat at the front.
Sam is making a welcome return to
his old primary school in Rhiwbina.
The visit is helping promote hard
work in school, something Sam was
renowned for as a pupil.
But for Sam, it also bring back
memories:

Y

Rhiwbina Land
iving Llandaff
Page 8 Living Page 8
Whitchurch

“It’s funny the things you
remember - stupid things - the
guttering, the slats in the fence that
we used to climb through to fetch
our footballs back.”
Sam is addressed by small pupils,
clutching their prepared questions
on pieces of paper.
“Which teacher gave you your first
rugby lesson?”; “How do you
prepare for a big match?” and
“What was your favourite subject in
school?”
Over the past few years, Sam has
become accustomed to questions,
media and fame. Later on, we head
down to Caedelyn Park to shoot a
few photos.
“It’s all still a bit odd to be honest
though - I walk into a school full of
kids and they’re all singing songs
about me. It’s all a bit bonkers - it’s
only little me.”
But his rise through the ranks of
Welsh rugby has come as less of a

surprise to those who have been
keeping tabs on the 23 year-old.
He represented Wales at all levels,
including captaining the Under18’s,
19’s and the Wales Under-20’s team
for the 2007–08 season. He also led
Wales to the under 19`s and under
20`s World Cup semi-finals.
But his real rise to prominence
came in last year’s Rugby World
Cup. His performances were lauded,
but cut short by an infamous tackle
on a Frenchman.

the chances of me sitting next to
him were thousands to one. But
that’s what happened. I didn’t
particularly want to speak to him. It
was quite awkward anyway but to
make it worse, he spoke broken
English. He joked about getting a
massage, we briefly spoke about
our immediate plans once we got
home. Then I stuck my headphones
on and didn’t speak to him for the
rest of the journey.”
Sam was quick to move on from.
“The last thing I was going to do
was blame the referee and drag the
whole thing out for longer. Blaming
the referee is not something I’ve
been taught as such - just the way
I’ve always played the game.”
His attitude, both throughout the
World Cup, and after, drew plaudits
from across the world. It was
perhaps quite fitting then that Sam
should pick up the Rugby Union
Writers Club's personality of 2011,
beating off the likes of Graham
Henry and Shane Williams.
“I didn’t know too much about it to
be honest. My agent rang me up
and told me that I needed to be at
the awards ceremony in London as I
had a good chance of winning. So I
went up, thinking it’d be a small
affair. When I walked in, there were
about 500 people sat there - people
like Jonny Wilkinson and other wellknown faces. I read the list of past
winners and thought ‘they’ve got
this wrong’. The names on there
read like a Hall of Fame - Jonah
Lomu, Francois Pienaar and Gareth
Edwards. I nearly fell of my seat
when I was announced the winner. I
genuinely thought there had been a
mistake and that I should have been
in some kind of newcomer’s
category.”
Despite Sam’s success with the
Welsh team, he’s realistic about
holding onto the captaincy of Wales.
“It was a weird concept at first
taking charge of a senior Welsh
side. But once I’d gotten over
myself, it felt totally natural. I know
that other players have just as much
right to be captain as me so if it gets
handed to someone else, I can
completely understand.”

Interview
interview

“

Neil Jenkins said:
“What’s up Warby?
“I’m off”
“What for ten minutes?”
“No. For good”
Neil smashed one of his
water bottles to
the floor in anger.
Then burst into tears.

As for long-term plans, he’s got no
desire to move away from Cardiff
just yet.
“My girlfriend and I have been
looking at houses in Rhiwbina. I’m a
Rhiwbina boy and it’d be nice to
settle down here.”

Rhiwbina Living Page 9

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Rhiwbina resident John
Chapman recalls our
village during the 1930s
and 40s.
y life in the village began in
1939 when we moved from
Canterbury to 39 Pen-y-Dre.
Earliest recollections however stem
from 1941 when hours were spent at
night during air raids in our Morrison
shelter (a dining room table by day).
Staying with us at the time was a
young girl evacuee from London.
One of the raids resulted in a bomb
basket landing between our gate
posts. My dad had a blue Morris
Minor (OD1181) which he garaged in
one of the two garages opposite, a
Mr Evans had the other.
In 1942 I listened to daily reports on
the wireless of the North African
battles and victory at El Alamein. Our
wireless ran on a battery which we
took to Barrauds in the village to be
charged when necessary. Next door
neighbours were Mr & Mrs Wilkins.
Sadly we heard one night that their
son Herbert had been killed in
action.

M

Rhiwbina Living Page 12

My days usually began with raking
out the fire grate before laying and
lighting a new fire. Breakfast
consisted of porridge and a boiled
egg. We kept chickens in our
garden, giving us fresh eggs daily.
Mum had lived in Malaga and gave
each one a Spanish name (Rosita,
Pipita, Juanita etc). The chickens
attracted rats which we killed
regularly, cutting off their tails and
nailing them to the side of our
garden shed as souvenirs.
One rat proved illusive so we shot it
with a 4-10 shot gun. Ambulance
trains often passed, bound for
Whitchurch, bringing wounded home
from the war. Jimmy Taverner and I
sometimes watched from the road
bridge at Whitchurch as the
wounded were taken off for transfer
by road to the hospital nearby. Dad
had two allotments in Pen-y-Dre
providing us with fresh vegetables
for much of the year. Food shortages
resulted in all of us having ration
books so we had to use our coupons
when purchasing sweets from Arthur
Davies, whose shop was next to the
Midland Bank.

From 1942 -1944 I attended
Rhiwbina Junior School. The
headmaster, I think, was a Mr
Pugsley and my teachers were Miss
Emrys and Miss Proud. We were all
given 1/3 pint of milk each day.
When the air raid siren sounded we
all had to run home quickly.
During playtime, we often ventured
into Smartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s old tea gardens to
amuse ourselves in the derelict old
cars left to rot there. My friends at
this time included:Diane Mardrom, Cecilia Griffiths,
Cynthia Flay, Audrey Kier, Julie
Sanderson, Charlie Blackburn,
Malcolm Smith, Mary, Anthony & Jim
Taverner, Timothy & Christopher
Raven, John Hitchins, Ken Marshall,
John Highland, Brian & David
Phillips.
Pen-y-Dre often became flooded
when the brook overflowed after
heavy rain. The water would creep
slowly down the road which gave us
time to roll up the carpets, take them
upstairs and raise the furniture on
blocks to minimise damage. During
1960 the road culvert was widened
which rectified the problem.

Pleasures were simple in those days
and the Rhiwbina brook was a
magnet to youngsters, giving us
hours of entertainment catching
bullyheads and other small fish.
One day I caught a small trout
which my mother cooked for my tea.
Occasionally we used to go through
the culvert under the main road. You
had to maintain a crouching position
as you went through because the
roof was very low.
The culvert turned to the left after a
short distance and for a while in the
centre each end was not visible, at
this point it was very dark and only
the trickle of water could be heard.
We feared rats but never saw one.
The tunnel then turned again to the
right when the exit could be seen.
We always entered with the flow
under Brook Garage to emerge in
Pen-y-Dre. I think I went through
about four times, always with two or
three others.
Often on Sunday mornings, my dad
took me to Cardiff docks at 6am and
I went on board many ships where
he tested for gas prior to hot work
taking place. We sometimes had to
board on a narrow gang plank with
no railings and also climb down and
up the long ladders in the holds.
During the journeys to and from the
docks I used to sit on his lap to steer
the car and change gear which I
found exhilarating being so young.
Unfortunately my legs were too short
to reach the pedals.
On some other Sundays a group of
us used to cycle to Penarth baths
and back.
Our bread was delivered daily by
Charlie who worked for Idris Evans
and came with a horse and two
wheeled cart. Occasionally his horse
sat down, resulting in the loaves of
bread being deposited in the road
much to our amusement. Milk was
delivered by Poyners with a horse
and four wheeled cart, later with a
small van. I often helped with the
milk deliveries at weekends which
consisted of silver topped bottles for
pasteurised milk, gold topped for
Tuberculin Tested and small narrow
necked bottles for goat’s milk, which
few people bought. I met many
people in Rhiwbina whilst on these

rounds and at Christmas often
collected over £5 in tips when my
pocket money at the time was two
shillings (10p).
One day the horse became
frightened in Heol Wen and began to
gallop towards the junction with Peny-Dre with John Poyner tugging at
the reins and me hanging on to the
roof rails at the back. As we turned
right into Pen-y-Dre which was
unmade and very rough at the time,
some empty crates of bottles flew off
the roof of the cart. It careered down
the unmade road bouncing about
with bottles rattling and more fell off
before John Poyner brought the
horse under control at the end of the
road near the golf links entrance. It
was an experience I have never
forgotten.
Groceries were bought from Miss
Tanner whose shop was next to
Duggan & James, or from the Co-Op
where our membership No was
26068. Meat came from Raybould
and fish from Excell in Beulah Rd.
My favourite shop was Silvesters,
where my first train set came from.
Trimmers had a green grocers shop
in Lon Fach. About this time a fish &
chip van visited the village weekly.
The fish & chips were superb and
cost about 1/6 pence (7.5p today)
they were always wrapped in
newspaper.
An air raid shelter made of brick,
stood on rough ground where
Rhiwbina library now stands and
girls were sometimes entertained
within in ways their parents would
not have approved of. Adults seldom
ventured inside which was dark,
damp and miserable.
After two years at Rhiwbina Junior
School my parents sent me to prep
school in Cardiff which entailed daily
journeys by train. Penarth Grammar
pupils used the same trains and we
had great fun on the afternoon return
journeys when no adults were
present.
During these daily trips I became
very friendly with Ann Mathews who
had a long blond pigtail; she
attended Penarth Grammar and lived
at Coryton. We used to meet each
evening on Queen Street station,
share a Chelsea bun purchased from

memories

the station café, and then travel
home together on the 4.30pm train.
During summer weekends we used
our railway season tickets to travel to
the beach together at Lavernock and
Swanbridge and by Western Welsh
bus to Southerndown. Her family
moved to Durham about 1948 and I
was devastated. Though we wrote to
each other for a while, we never met
again. She remains forever in my
memory.
The new prep school in Cardiff had
a very strict regime which resulted in
almost daily canings, failures of any
kind were not tolerated. However, it
had the desired effect because all
except one in my class passed the
eleven plus to enter grammar
schools.
In February 1947, there was a great
blizzard resulting in snow to a depth
of four to five feet, being above the
lower window sills of the houses. I
helped the men dig a trench in the
snow along the centre of Pen-y-Dre
to enable us to reach the village,
where by some miracle milk had
arrived from the farms and was
being distributed. We had to go to
the bakery in Whitchurch for bread.
I am not sure how long this lasted
but life was difficult for some while.
Each one of us made a toboggan
which we used to speed down the
steep slopes on the Wenallt near
Rhiwbina Hill. We always went down
head first and there was
considerable competition to see who
was fastest. We steered with our feet
trailing behind and attempted to
miss the railings or the brook at the
bottom. I finished up in the brook
twice, whilst Alan Barr from Pen-yDre hit the railings once, resulting, I
think, in a trip to hospital.
About 1949 the film The Third Man
came to the Monico cinema which
was packed for about three weeks
with long queues outside
beforehand. Dick Barton was famous
on the radio together with Tommy
Handley in “ ITMA”.
As the decade ended we moved to
20 Lon-y-Dail where I spent the next
21 eventful years before emigrating
to Llanishen.

John Chapman
Rhiwbina Living Page 13

Celebrate Easter
with us

Easter Is A Time For Inspiration And Hope

We’d love to meet you at Rhiwbina Baptist Church over this special season and help you meet
the God who loves you and gave himself for you.

Here’s What’s On At RBC This Easter Time
Palm Sunday 1 April
10.30: A Royal Visit
Good Friday 6 April
10.30: a time to reflect on the most significant death in world history
Easter Sunday 12 April 10.30: Worship the King of Life

How About An Easter Gift?

Looking to buy that special gift for a loved one? Feel
like treating yourself?
Pop in to the Olive Branch on Heol y Deri and find
the ideal present. Whilst you’re there you can enjoy a
perfect cup of coffee!

Rhiwbina Squash Pro and Welsh No.1 Peter Creed won
his first professional squash title in Wroclaw, Poland in
January, lifting him to No. 98 in the world. Creed
defeated Englandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eddie Charlton, in 34 minutes during
the final winning 11-7, 12-10 and 11-9.
This is the third Professional Squash Association (PSA)
Tour final for Pete. Last year, Peter lead Rhiwbina Squash
to team success by becoming South Wales Premier
Team champions for the first time in the Rhiwbina
Squash clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history.
Peteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success has followed many great achievements
from the clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thriving junior section with Lloyd Rutter
becoming the North Wales Junior Open (U15) Champion
and Joe Rhys a finalist in the U13 age category.
The club welcomes players of all abilities from experts
to complete beginners. Rhiwbina Squash Club has 7
UKCC fully qualified and insured squash coaches who
will be happy to provide coaching sessions to improve
your fitness or just start you off on the basics.
Social events are an integral part of Rhiwbina Squash
Club, with regular events being hosted throughout the
year.
If you are interested in joining Rhiwbina Squash Club,
please visit www.rhiwbinasquashclub.co.uk or call 07946
568098. There is a free Squash Open Day on Saturday
31st March between 1-4pm with some free coaching.

Opened to bring service back onto the high street, The Garden
Village Garage offers an innovative car ‘collect and deliver’ service
from either home or office. With online internet viewing available,
we place you straight into our workshops to see what’s going on!
Our service experience could not be simpler. No more stress or
time off getting your car across the city to your dealer - we will take
care of it all. Our award winning partners, The Nantgarw Garage
will undertake all matters relating to service, MOT testing and
repairs; they will even clean the car ready for its return. We offer all
main dealer facilities and will collect early morning or the evening
before, whichever is easier. If your car is still under the
manufacturer’s warranty, we will use original parts to protect the
car’s cover.
Our primary goal is complete customer satisfaction and we have
a proven track record. We are independently monitored, controlled
and audited by the Good Garage Scheme. Check out our feedback at www.GardenVillageGarage.co.uk and just click the Good
Garage Scheme link at the top of the page.
We are confident that once you have tried our service you will visit
again, call us on 0333 121 2012 (it’s a free phone number, so we
will even pay for the call!)

Matthew and
Heather - two
new faces in
Rhiwbina

We found the Garden Village Garage to be
very efficient, reliable and friendly. The car pick
up and drop off service was especially helpful
to us. We also genuinely appreciated the
professionalism, ‘old-fashioned’ honesty and
attention to detail that Matthew and his team
have employed in conducting their business.
Sioned and Gordon Harold Groes Lon

I have used the services at Nantgarw Garage a
number of times in the past two years and
received a warm welcome, attention to detail
and an overall excellent level of service. I have
no hesitation in recommending Nantgarw
Garage to anyone and will be happy now to
take advantage of the Garden Village Garage
Denys Thomas, Beulah Road
The level of service I have received from the
Garden Village Garage has been first class.The
convenience of having my car collected on
time and delivered back cleaned inside and
out with all work done to a high standard and at
a good price means I have no hesitation in
recommending Matthew and his team to family
and friends
Jackie Fischer, Heol Wen
We used the Garden Village Garage recently,
the whole experience was friendly, effective
and efficient! It's good to see a new business
providing a user friendly service to the local
community and we would thoroughly
recommend the Garden Village Garage
Huw and Karen Moores, Pen-y-Dre
Rhiwbina Living Page 17

!
"
!

#$ %&'()* ++

,-
.
!.
&/(

Pick and Mix
readers’ stories

By Eric Fletcher

I don’t know how many there are.
A couple of dozen; maybe thousands.
I have no idea. You can’t count things
you can’t see; things you cannot hear
or feel. Possibly there’s one sitting next
to you as you’re reading this; maybe
one standing behind you as you load
your shopping into your car outside
Tesco. We need a name for these
unseen, unseeing mystery beings. The
best I can come up with is the
inbetweeners. Try as you might, there
are no references to them on Google;
no mention in even the most
comprehensive of dictionaries.
How do I know of their existence? I
was at school with one, one who
became, and presumably still is an inbetweener. His name was John but
everyone with the exception of his
mother called him Jack. He was never
what you’d call a Jack of all Trades,
but he did become the master of one,
if you can call a life of crime a trade.
It all began at the ‘Pick and Mix’ in
Woolies. Jack and I would stroll
towards the display, all innocent like. I
was the look-out man, keeping an eye
on the shop assistants while Jack
filled his pockets with toffee creams,
sherbet lemons, Turkish Delight anything that was going. I suppose I
was as guilty as him, an accessory I
think it’s called but we were only nine
or ten, just a bit of fun, a laugh.
It was about that time that Jack’s
family moved house. He went to a new
school so we saw less of each other.
We’d meet up occasionally, perhaps
share a can or two of coke. After A
levels, I went away to Uni, so didn’t
see Jack for, oh could have been four
years, maybe more. I remember I did
meet him once outside the football
ground, but to be honest, he wasn’t
the same Jack
I’d known at school. Ok, we all
change, grow up, our lives go in
different directions, but Jack’s seemed
to have carried on as before except
he’d progressed, if progressed is the
right word, from stealing sweets from
Woolies, to running a black market
operation, dealing in the latest ‘must
have’ trainers and designer tee shirts.
I asked where he got them. ”Fell off
the back of a lorry, didn’t they?” he
replied. Anything not tied down was

fair game to Jack.
A few times my father would cut out
pieces from the Echo about Jack.
Usually under a heading such as
LOCAL BOY MUGS ELDERLY
SHOPPER. Another one I recall was
OLD AGE PENSIONERS SAVINGS
STOLEN. LOCAL MAN ARRESTED.
We did meet once more. Wasn’t
planned to be honest. Our lives had
gone in totally different directions. We
had nothing in common any longer.
But I must tell you the strange story.
Jack told me at what would turn out
to be our last meeting. He reckoned
he was ambling down the road
making his way towards the park.
He’d pinched one of those long
French loaves and a couple of
bananas from outside the deli. When
all of a sudden, (and this is where I
began to have serious doubts about
Jack’s mental state) he was adamant
that there was a strong smell of
burning and standing in front of him
was the Devil.
According to Jack, this Devil looked
him straight in the eyes and said ”I’ve
been keeping a watch on you and you
are just the man I need - an
apprentice to help me in hell.” Jack
took a few steps backwards, the
Devil’s hot breath was scorching his
face, and shouted:
“No way! I’m getting out of here!” He
dropped the bananas and tore the
French loaf in two, holding the two
pieces of bread in front of him in the
shape of a cross. Jack strode towards
the Devil, who, covering his eyes,
backed away. The Devil had only
taken a few steps when he bumped
into a road sign. He turned around,
screamed an almighty yell of anguish.
It was a cross roads sign. I almost felt
sorry for the Devil. There he was,
unable to move backwards because
of the cross on the road sign or
forwards because Jack had lain the
bread in the shape of a crucifix on the
road just out of his reach. Believe it or
not, it’s up to you, but that’s the story
as Jack told it.
As I said that was the last time I saw
Jack. A few months later, he was
dead. I seem to remember it was a
day or two before the New Year. He
came out of his local pub, possibly for
a smoke and stumbled into the path of
a speeding taxi. The paramedics
pronounced him dead at the scene. I
went to his funeral, after all, our
mothers had been friends and I think

our dads would sometimes meet up at
the football. Didn’t recognise anyone.
Looked like an ‘away day’ for the local
Mafia. You know - closely cropped
hair, tattoos and sunglasses. All it
needed was a couple of violin cases.
Now I don’t know how long it takes
from being a corpse at the side of the
road to arriving outside the Pearly
Gates, but no doubt Jack was very
surprised to find himself surrounded
by fluffy white clouds and celestial
music.
Anyway Saint Peter said ”Hello Jack.
We were expecting you.”
“Well it’s a total surprise to me. Who
do say you are?” replied Jack.
“You don’t know? Didn’t they teach
you anything in R.E. lessons? I’m Saint
Peter. I’m in charge of the gates…..”
“Oh I know. Pete. Like a bouncer
outside the Pig and Whistle club in
town.” Jack interrupted. Saint Peter
looked puzzled.
He reaching out to make sure the
gates were secure, and replied.
”Two things you need to know Jack.
The first is – don’t address me as Pete.
I’m Saint Peter, never Pete, never mate
and certainly never butty. Only ever
Saint Peter. Got that?”
“And the second?” Jack asked.
“Well I’m afraid we’ve had a meeting
and the committee decided,
unanimously I may add, that we don’t
want you here. You’re too disruptive, a
real danger. We don’t do crime up
here. Sorry Jack but you’ll just have to
go back down. You could try the Devil.
I’ve heard he’ll take anybody.”
So Jack, or at least Jack’s soul, arrives
back on terra firma. Guess who’s there
to meet him? Yes . That’s right. The
Devil.
”Before you ask Jack I don’t want you
anymore. I was stuck up against that
road sign for hours, couldn’t move
until a stray dog ran off with your
broken loaf and that was after he’d
cocked his leg up against my cloak.
I’m afraid you’re destined to spend
eternity as an in-betweener. “What’s
one of those?” Jack shouted. Too late.
The Devil had vanished. All that was
left was burn marks on the road.
Now I don’t know if this story has a
moral but if any of your children or
grandchildren start hanging around
the ‘Pick and Mix’ display, take note.
Beware - they may be on the road to
becoming an in-betweener.

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Our fence panels are guaranteed not to rot,
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spring gardens

Spring
Of
Hope
LLANDAFF NORTH’S
KEVIN REVELL TAKES US
THROUGH THE JOURNEY OF
SPRING AS SEEN THROUGH
THE EYES OF A GARDENER
RWhitchurch
hiwbina Liviand
ng PLlandaff
age 22 Living Page 12

UNFURLING
Slowly but surely the extremes of
winter ease and almost
imperceptibly life begins anew as
hesitant new life unfurls from the leaf
mould. Showing no respect for
artificially imposed calendar dates it
begins when it begins; when a
number of natural phenomena come
into alignment and the weather
becomes more temperate.
Spring seems to be the longest of
the seasons stretching from the
uncertain flowering of the first bulbs
to the voluptuous blooms of the first
rose of summer. Winter flowers don’t
count – spring is at hand when the
snowdrops fade not when their buds
emerge uncertainly through residual
snow and hellebore flowers fade as
the days warm up. Prunus
subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’ bears an
occasional blush pink flower
throughout winter whenever the sun
shines for a day or so and
temperatures deign to stay above
freezing.
An extraordinary transformation
occurs in early February when
previously unremarkable trees reveal
themselves to be the ornamental
plum, Prunus ceracifera, as pale
lavender-pink blossom billows
across suburbia. A particularly fine
show is to be seen on Whitchurch
Common; there is no going back
now - spring is truly sprung.

CHERRY BLOSSOM
Ornamental cherry blossom soon
follows; Prunus Okame is among the
first and most striking, shortly
followed by a plethora of Japanese
hybrids. For a few weeks, Britain’s
parks and gardens resemble those
of some Eastern paradise, westerly
gales and April showers
notwithstanding.
The flowering season of ornamental
trees is multi-layered in its
complexity, some requiring longer
days, others responding to the
increasing warmth of the sun and
the two do not always go hand in
hand. In some years the display
goes on for months but as with last
year when a hard winter is followed
by a warm spring, the whole display
is concertinaed up into a few hectic
weeks. First the introductory
blossom of ornamental plums and
cherries, then the pretty, fragrant
crab apple blossom before the
darker pink, long lasting ornamental
hawthorn trees.
The steady procession of blossom
on trees and shrubs slowly builds
and threatens to become a riot
before the calming green leaves
emerge to restore order and
outrageous individuals are merged
in one homogenous verdant crowd.
Magnolia buds have been swelling,
gently changing in colour from
winter silver to spring gold and

amber before the sepals split and fall
revealing the silken petals within,
which expand like chalices to
capture the spring sunshine.
LLANDAFFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S COLOURS
Llandaff is blessed with some
wonderful magnolias and a walk
around Palace Road at this time is
breath-taking while the hidden gems
of Insole Court are worth seeking
out. Bursting with inherent energy, an
unholy alliance of pink and yellow is
revealed in suburban shrub borders
with the flowering of Forsythia and
Ribes, sure to get the pulse racing or
the blood boiling. Whether these
colours associate well together is a
matter of taste but these two
certainly come as a pair to herald
spring in no uncertain terms, soon to
be followed by the frothy spumes of
white that are the inflorescences of
Spiraea arguta.
Hedgerow blackthorns are mirrored
in the orchards and fruit gardens by
the damson, gage and plum trees
which are star-spangled white,
shortly followed by pears and finally
the pretty, pink buds opening pure,
perfumed white of apple blossom.
They light up the garden like great
white torches before scattering their
floral confetti around the garden
leaving an unfeasible number of
miniature fruitlets behind.
Perhaps the epitome of spring is
the blossoming of the fruit trees
which given good weather will
ensure a fruitful autumn harvest.
Bees are the obvious vectors of
pollination but it is surprising how
many other insects share the task
from hoverflies to small beetles
which remain largely unseen in the
garden for the rest of the year.
BEAUTY OF BLOSSOM
Blossom laden branches peak and
fade with the emergence of the
foliage as a million green window
panes filter the warming sun,
harnessing the energy like mini-solar
panels, casting dappled light of the
ground beneath which diminishes as
the season progresses. The view of
the garden from the lounge window
changes daily as green tinged
branches become draped in their

verdant finery. Bright green becomes
the dominant colour in the
countryside as trees and hedgerows
re-foliate and newly fertilised pasture
springs into growth. Plants on the
woodland floor or growing under
taller trees and shrubs need to grow
and complete their life cycles early
before the canopy closes over.
MAGICAL WOODLANDS
Now is a magical time to visit ancient
bluebell woods alive with birdsong.
Fragrant lilac and wisteria take up
the floral baton as dull twiggy
branches are transformed by the
emergence from anaemic pale violet
bottlebrushes erupting into
cascading waterfalls of fragrant,
brilliantly bi-coloured lilac and
amethyst flowers when spring truly
arrives between April and May. This
dramatic transformation is presaged
by a gentle rain of protective sepals
falling to the floor where they blow
and collect in corners like the husks
of winnowed grain. At first the
flowers are shy to emerge and cling
to the warm south facing wall for
protection or sulk through April
showers but within a week they
emerge in a floral crescendo to be
admired for a few short weeks. The
inflorescence consists of tightly
closed clam-like individual flowers
grouped together in racemes which
reveal their beauty on opening to the
familiar pea-like blossom. The
pendant clusters of jewelled flowers
are gilded with a touch of gold about
their honeyed throats, each of which

spring gardens

communicate news of this bounty far
and wide for all the bees in the
neighbourhood are drawn to this
floral cornucopia. To stand
underneath, beguiled by the
perfume and lulled by the humming
of bees is surely the highlight of
spring.
The final flowering of commonly
grown blossom trees comes with the
laburnum as spring slides
imperceptibly into summer.
Perfumed golden chains hang free; a
metaphorical sign of the release of
summer. Another true indicator of
spring has long been apparent â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the
chirruping of birds and their constant
activity as they attend to the many
nests dotted around the garden.
Now is the time to see wildlife
gardening in action as the roses and
fruit trees are stripped of their aphids
and caterpillars, an experience
denied to anyone impatient enough
to spray insecticides about with
abandon. Hastily grabbed moments
spent in the garden between spring
showers are soon replaced by long
sultry evenings dead-heading roses
as the nights shorten and summer
has finally arrived.

produces a small hint of scent but
the flowers are produced in such
profusion that an invisible, perfumed
cloud emanates from the pergola.
The floral canopy comes alive with
bees from dawn till dusk. They must

hiwbina Living
Living Page
Page 13
23
Whitchurch andRLlandaff

greenmoor nurseries

suppliers of top quality plants throughout the year

South Wales’s largest grower and supplier of
home-grown plants for your garden.
We have a large range of
3
vegetable plants and flower
bags of
plants. We also stock loose
compost
seeds, award-winning
for
£ 10
hanging baskets, a full range of
composts, greenhouse glass and
perspex, perennials, shrubs, fruit tress and
much much more.Visit our website for more
details or call. Bring your children to see
our army tanks!

Pets’ Page
Heath Vets’
Chris Troughton is happy
to answer any of your petrelated questions. Drop
him a line at
editor@livingmags.co.uk

I have a friend who has a
very friendly dog. I've
often seen this dog licking
things it shouldn't. My
friend lets the dog lick her
face saying that the dog is
giving her a 'kiss', but I
always stop the dog from
licking my child's face.
Am I right to do so? I can't
imagine the dog's mouth
being particularly clean.
Puppies lick their parent's face when
the adult has returned to the den
after hunting. The licking stimulates
the adult to regurgitate food for the
puppies to eat. Face-licking of the
owner is often seen in adult domestic
dogs and it starts as a submissive
greeting behaviour, though it may
become more widely used by an
individual who is rewarded for it by
the recipient's response. However,

you are right to be concerned about
the health risks of allowing this,
particularly with a child. The dog's
tongue is used for all sorts of
exploratory and cleaning purposes,
and is definitely not clean! The
commonly-held view that licking a
wound will clean it and help it heal is
a myth. There is also a risk that facelicking could infect the child with
roundworm eggs. You should
definitely NOT allow this behaviour.

I'm thinking of joining a
needlework class. Having
a very playful cat called
Mollie, but I am
concerned that she will
want to play with the
thread that I'll be using.
Worse still, I'm worried
that she may try and eat it.
Although I'd be extra
vigilant, what should I do
if Mollie did eat thread?
Do I try and pull it back
out?
Surprisingly, it is not that rare for cats
to ingest needles & thread , and they
can certainly cause serious injury.
Amazingly, a needle alone will rarely
cause problems and often will travel
right through the digestive tract and
be passed without incident. The
cotton can be much more serious as
it can ruck up the intestines causing
an obstruction. If Mollie were to eat
thread, and you could still see an
end in her mouth, you could gently
try to pull it out. If there is any
resistance, don't pull hard but take to
the vet as an emergency. If you can
tie the loose end to something to
stop it being completely swallowed,
that would be very helpful. If she has
swallowed the whole thread, try to
estimate how long it is, and then take
her to the vet - but not as an
immediate emergency. If you see a
thread protruding from her bottom,
you could gently pull it - but again,
any resistance would indicate the
need for a vet's help.

Pets’ Page is sponsored by the Heath Veterinary Group

What can I expect after
my puppy is spayed?
Will there be anything I
need to look out for in
particular ?
These days, most puppies get over
their spaying operation very quickly,
thanks to modern anaesthetics and
painkillers. When she comes home,
you will need to make sure she rests
- we always recommend lead
exercise until stitches are removed.
Jumping up onto furniture or going
up stairs is also best avoided as it
will stretch her tummy where the
stitches are. The more active she is,
the more the stitches will pull and get
sore. If you are worried about her
comfort, ask your vet to have a look
at her.
After an anaesthetic, a small light
meal is advisable on the evening she
comes home. The following day, light
meals are best. I would expect her
appetite to be fully recovered by the
second day after the operation - if it's
not, get her checked out.

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rhiwbina, whitchurch, llandaff,
llandaff north, danescourt, cardiff

get noticed

IT’S EASY TO SEE WHY LIVING MAGAZINES
ARE PROVING SO EFFECTIVE FOR LOCAL
BUSINESSES AND ORGANISATIONS

WHITCHURCH AND
LLANDAFF LIVING
Launched in 2008 in response to
requests from businesses in
Whitchurch and Llandaff.
6,000 copies are available
from our established distribution
network, including our custom-made
stands in Tesco Extra (Western
Avenue), Tesco Express
Whitchurch, Co-op Whitchurch and
Spar in Llandaff. Published five
times a year.

RHIWBINA LIVING
Rhiwbina Living was launched in
2007 with the aim of helping local
businesses who didn’t want to spend
money on expensive adverts in
regional publications that overlooked
the potential business on their
own doorsteps. Published four times
a year, and personally handdelivered door-to-door by us
(ensuring that they don’t end up
dumped in a stream!),we ensure
that everyone of our 4,400 copies
land on our readers’ doormats.

DANESCOURT LIVING
The latest addition to our
portfolio, Danescourt Living is
the ‘little baby sister’ of the
bunch. 1,500 copies are
personally delivered by us to
homes in this Llandaff suburb.
Its A5 size has been a hit with
commuters of this younger
population. Launched in
2010, the magazine replaces
the now defunct
Danescourt News.

NEW!
NEW! ONLINE ADVERTISING!
Our popular website has attracted
over 350,000 individual visitors since
we launched it in July 2010. We
actively promote our advertisers
through our Facebook and Twitter.
We have now launched online
advertising. For £50 a month, you’ll
feature on our home page, and your
advert will even be clickable to take
viewers straight to your website.

WHAT OUR ADVERTISERS SAY
“We have been advertising in both Rhiwbina Living and
Whitchurch and Llandaff Living since their very first
issues, and not a week goes by without someone saying
that they have seen our advert in the magazines. We are
pleased to be associated with such professional
magazines and we can honestly say that it’s far better to
be in the magazines than not!”
Paul Ballard, Serenade, (South Wales Echo’s Winner of
‘They’re the Business’ Award 2010), Rhiwbina
“We decided to advertise in both editions of your
publication in 2010 and were very pleased with the
response it generated in terms of attracting new
customer enquiries and comments received from
our existing customers. Your magazine is
eagerly anticipated by its readers and most
importantly read unlike other free publications. Has
advertising in your magazines worked for us? Yes it
has. Will we be advertising in the future. Yes we will!”
Matt Trevett, Absolute Care (Wales) Limited,
Roath, Cardiff
I placed an advert in Rhiwbina Living in autumn this
year to try to boost my food trade and was extremely
impressed with the results. The advert generated a
terrific amount of new trade through the door. Its now
very difficult to get a table in my restaurant on a Sunday
afternoon! I was so impressed that in the next quarter,
I placed an advert in both the Whitchurch and Llandaff
Living magazine as well as the Rhiwbina Living
magazine for a second time.
Paul Beales, Landlord, The Butchers Arms Rhiwbina.

Call 07772 081775
or visit www.livingmags.co.uk
for rates and dates and discounts!
Rhiwbina Living Page 29

NB: The Friday sessions in Rhiwbina welcome parents with babies/toddlers; exercise
with your child on the side and see to them as required. The music will be quieter than
other classes. All classes term time only.

M: 07810 440 868
E: Ingrid.zumbafitness@gmail.com

Column

hen the clock struck midnight
on December 31st 2009, I
was under the impression
that 2010 was going to be another
straight-forward year.
I’d planned another year’s worth of
magazines, but I’d also planned to
finally settle down for a life of
singledom. It seemed ok sat there
on my shelf. I’ll get myself a nice
telly, maybe a nice computer. To me,
they were exciting things that’d keep
me occupied every evening (such
was the extent of my ambition).
But in 2010, I met my future wife. I
didn’t know she was going to be my
future wife when we first met. We’d
known each other from our teens
when Clare (my wife) worked in a
shop. I’d come in pretending to
browse, when in fact, I was visiting
to ogle. Clare remembers me as
‘boring and skinny’. Her words, not
mine. Yet we lived less then five
minutes away from each other, on
opposite sides of a hill in Barry. I
remember seeing Clare walking
home on balmy Saturday evenings
after finishing work. It would be
nearly 20 years later before we saw
each other again.
By then, Clare had been around
the world with various jobs. Our first
date was at a bar in Cardiff Bay. I’d
promised her a Greggs sausage roll
(which sadly, I never bought her).
Things were a little nervy at first, as
they always are on a date, but after
20 minutes or so, we were talking
like we’d known each other for
years. By the end of our first week,
we’d written up a Life Plan. It’s still
stuck on our fridge.
The wedding in the autumn of 2011
was a small affair. Despite its size, it
was still a stressful affair in the
months and weeks running up to it.
We’d had it quite easy really,

W

deciding on the date, venue and
dress after two pints of Peroni in the
summer sun of Cardiff city centre.
But as with all most things that
cause you headaches in life, it’s the
little things- the little fiddly things
that you think would take a few
minutes.
Then it was off to New York for a
few nights. To me, New York was a
city of childhood dreams. The sheer
cheek of placing buildings so huge
in one place always amazed me,
especially since I’ve always taken a
dislike to heights. But there I was, on
an icy November day, stood at the
top of the Empire State Building,
looking out over this sprawling
metropolis.
It was then that I realised that
sharing your life with someone is
what helps you achieve dreams. By
sharing my ambitions with my wife,
she’s helped me do achieve things
that have been sat on my ‘To-do List’
since I was a teen: visit New York,
get married and even fly a ‘plane
(I was bought an aerobatic flying
lesson as a gift from Clare for our
first Christmas together). But more
importantly, I’ve become content
with my lot. I don’t have a flashy car
or a house with electric gates (in
fact, I’ve no gates at all!). But I do
have happiness.
But before I get too slushy, there of
course, a few down sides to being
married.
#1 I can’t leave dirty dishes in the
kitchen to do the next day. If Clare is
away for a week, I can leave all my
week’s dishes and do them quickly a
few hours before she comes home.
She never knows the difference. I’ll
even leave the hoover out and
maybe casually throw a towel over
the edge of the bath to make it look
like I’ve had a bath while she’s been

gone.
#2 Invariably, two different people
are going to like different things on
telly. Whereas Clare likes these
American dramas (too full of murder
and homocide for me), I prefer to
watch historical documentaries and
the like. We’ve signed up to
LoveFilm, where movies are sent by
post for you to watch. We both pick
separate lists to reflect our differing
interests. Several months ago,
Clare’s offering of the latest
cinematic blockbuster arrived. My
DVD was a programme about ants.
#3 Differing body clocks create
worry. If I dash out of bed when the
sun rises, my wife thinks I don’t want
to spend time with her. Later on,
when I’ve finished watching my
programme about ants and want to
go to bed at 9pm, my wife thinks I
don’t want to spend any time with
her.
#4 I can’t actually think of a fourth
one. I guess this goes to show that
these things are nothing compared
to what I’ve gained.
So the next time you moan about
what you haven’t got, just take a
minute or two to take in what you do
have and imagine what life would be
like without it.
These days, my wife and I both sit
watching telly together and eating
our tea. But that’s fine. I wouldn’t
want to be sat eating my tea on my
own, like I thought I would be at
beginning of 2010.
So the small things
become the big
things. Eating tea
together should be
savoured.
The dishes can
wait till the
following day
though.